there's no additional cost to the government, to the secretary, to the usda. and this just gives the secretary one more consideration, doesn't force him to take into account any one of these. it just says they can consider commodity prices, consumer preferences and need and that's why the amendment makes sense. >> senator conrad? >> i'm told and just asking the question of senator johanns and senator brown that the bush administration claimed they already had this authority. but the current administration argues that they don't. is that the case? >> senator johanns? >> i'm not entirely certain about that because at least when i was secretary, senator conrad, we looked at this from an agricultural standpoint. and so i probably never pushed the authority. this administration may be looking at it. times are different. times are more difficult and may be saying, gosh, do we have the authority here? kind of underscores the point. this may be something that we address at some stage, and i might even be willing -- i am willing, not might be willing i am willing to wo

the usda says the case is atypical. mad cow is passed from county, but in this case experts say the cow did not get it from ingesting infected feed. >> let's get a look at the weather. >> >> mostly cloudy skies around the bay area. fifties and even some 60s already and as we head throughout the day we will see some very mild temperatures continuing as a lot of clouds will continue to move across the skies. you might want to keep the umbrella handy. dry weather is ahead but not until friday and weekend. temperatures running mainly in the 60s and low '70's. not a bad day coming our way. it looks like things will stay on settled through the next several days and then more sunshine for the weekend >> we're doing pretty well for the start of the commute. no big incidents on the roadway. the doe will drive closure will happen friday 8:00 p.m. and last all weekend long. they're telling us to expect some pretty heavy delays all weekend long so you are encouraged to avoid the area. 101 is looking pretty good right there at third

i would simply remember the usda to study the organization. we obviously want to work with the secretary and the position would oversee the multitude of international trading functions that will currently spread across several agencies within the department. that's the problem. we have a long standing challenge at the department. we have several agencies in the department with some international aspects or responsibility that we're too thin at the top. the senator's amendment suggests that we think trade is a top vital priority at the department. we want them to take a hard closer look and consider such a position. there's always a laundry list of trade issues in agriculture they pop up almost every moment. hopefully we didn't add to the list yesterday with the announcement out of california. goodness knows our cowboys have been through a lot in the past eight and a half years and we don't need more of this type of thing. this isn't political. we've long needed a solid trade hand with the appropriate diplomatic title to increase interaction wi

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila with the latest. >> reporter: the usda, the meat industry, and even their critics say the chances of mad cow infecting the american beef eater today are small. in fact, it's never happened in the united states. but, that doesn't mean diary farmers in california's central valley where this latest mad cow was discovered aren't concerned. that the beef prices are going to drop. the heat is on here. the usda inspectored today at an undisclosed dairy form around hansford, california, deciding if it must kill the calves delivered by the mad cow and also destroy what the no visit nl symptoms. the summables and nervousness that give the cow its name. and that means other cows can be sold to a hamburger packer without being tested. the usda says its 40,000 random tests a year, less than 1 brnt of the cows slaughter ready enough. and even if a diseased cow slipped through, guidelines put in place since the british outbreak that killed 175 people prohibit slaughterhouses here from using the brain material that carries it to humans. >> through the inspe

the usda -- would not have been slaughtered. and it posed no threat however several questions on our facebook fan page. do i need to watch out for that hamburger? the coins off answer is the answer no. can this be transferred towards milk? there however are mixed opinions. the usda says that it can be transmitted to milk but the neurosciences says that there is no way to transfer or test for that. however it is a possibility. it has been known to transfer through sheep's milk. >>pam: shouldn't the public word about the milk supply? >> off they also said no. dinner scientists i said spoke with they said that it would be such a low rate it would be extremely unlikely that it would impact humans. with the outbreak in the 1980's. millions 8 that beef. and less than 200 died. millions -- heat that beat in the 1980's in london. >>pam: stock, however a significant number that 8 that beef 8 that beef had eaten at beef --. new standards. >> u.s. beef is not tested and not with the usda. >> the west coast director of consumers union is th

it is not refined it. >> this is the fourth case of the disease in the united states and the usda says the cases were atypical. the usda tests more than 40,000 cows every year and there picked randomly at a certain mature age. mad cow disease is passed from cow to cow but in this case experts say accounted not get it from eating infected feed. for more information including more from usda just head to cbssf.com. >> on the survivors is describing the terror of this past month's deadly boating accident at the farallon islands. he said that after a huge wave hit the boat the sales were shredded, a mast snapped and ever flotation device had been ripped off of the boat. then another wave knocked him into the brakes on. he said it was a washing machine filled with boulders " you don't release them, the water took me where want to take me ". he writes in the marin independent journal that he eventually made it onto the rocks off of the farallon islands and was rescued with two other sailors but five people died and at boating accidents on april the 14th. >> it is 60 4:00 a.m. and let's get a

abc's senior national correspondent jim avila with the details. >> reporter: the usda, the meat industry, and even their critics believe the chance of mad cow infecting the american beef consumer today are small. in fact, it's never happened in the united states. but dairy farmers at ground zero of the outbreak, california's central valley, are panicked that demand and prices will drop. >> demand on beach with the media coverage is going to take effect. and people are going to hold back. >> reporter: the heat is on here. the usda inspectors today at an undisclosed bare dairy farm around hansford, california, deciding if they must kill the calves delivered by the mad cow and also destroy what are the symptoms. >> they don't have symptoms yet. >> reporter: the 5-year-old cow was already dead when it was delivered to this testing plant where it failed a random brain test. no signs of symptoms. that is bother some. it means that other cows could have the disease and sold to a hamburger packer without being tested. the usda says its 40,000 random tests a year, less than 1% of the cows slaught

. >> what's the message the usda is sending? >> they don't want to require it and offend the industry, but they understand people are outraged about this. >> reporter: the maker of approximate "pink slime" signed on to the usda labelling move, saying it will, quote, pave the way for bpi's lean beef to re-establish his place in the market. cargill, one ever the nation's largest ground beef producers today asked the usda for permission to label it with a similar filler. since the first of the year, mcdonald's and others have dropped the filler. grocery stores have pulled it from shelves. now for the first time, what is inside the beef will be labelled on the outside. jim avila, abc news, washington. >>> and coming up tonight, the great imposter. authorities say he raced to disasters in a flight suit, even a medical mask, tricking hundreds of people, and then met his match in one devastated little town. i'm carol. and this is my cvs pharmacist. i found out i had cancer. diabetes. i had a heart attack. so, i needed help with my medi

so by the usda. we think that's wrong. we think they should be able to test their own meat. they should be able to label it bse tested. and they could use the same test that the usda uses. but usda has forbidden it. >> what about pets, sanjay, are they at risk? >> for some of the same reasons we're talking about, the idea that you could get these specific parts, again, it's tough to describe it this way, but these parts of animals that have the brain and spinal cord in it, into feed of other animals, possibly. in theory, it could happen. there has been a sort of variant in cats described. it's known as feline spongiform encephalopathy. don't need to remember the name but that's the cat version of mad cow disease. it can happen in dogs. i don't know there's a reported case in the united states. i think it's unlikely. not all animals will be susceptible to it as others. in theory, again, if you trace the feed chain here, that's where people are trying to focus their attention as well. >> i appreciate i

the carcass is still in quarantine, and the usda is trying to figure out what to do next. it is the first confirmed case of mad cow disease in the u.s. since 2006. the dairy cow was isolated and tested at the baker commodities rendering facility in han ford. that is about 30 miles from fresno. the usda posted a statement insisting the cow did not eat contaminated feed, and that it was simply a random mutation. >> our laboratory confirmed the findings and said it was an atypical form of the disease which is a rare form of the disease. >> should people be worried about getting mad cow disease? >> no, they shouldn't. >> the dairy cow in question did not enter the food chain. mad cow disease cannot be passed along through milk. >> we are actually seriously concerned about the new case. >> i spoke with the west coast director of consumer reports via skype. she worries not enough cows are tested. >> there are likely to be lots of other cows out there if they were looking harder. >> alicia says 40,000 cows are tested. still mad cow disease is extremely rare which may not matter i

our laboratory confirmed the findings. >> reporter: today the chief veterinary officer for the usda cautioned, it's an isolated case. not the start of an epidemic. >> our livestock population is some of the healthiest in the world. and the consumers should be confident in our food supply. >> reporter: everyone still remembers the devastating outbreak of mad cow in britain during the 90s. 150 people died. after the 50 case of mad cow was confirmed in this country in 2003, dozens of countries ban the u.s. beef. shipments dropped more than 80%. china still bans u.s. beef imports. today the usda insisted this case occurred at a rendering plant for a product other than food. >> this particular animal did not enter the food supply at any time. so there's no concern about that. >> reporter: but the usda currently tests 40,000 cows of years of the millions that are slaughtered. >> the investigation is not complete of this case. so we'll be watching carefully to see what they find. obviously if it turns out that we have tainted feed, we will have a much larger problem on our hands. >> it is a mystery

the carcass is still in quarantine, and the usda is trying to figure out what to do next. it is the first confirmed case of mad cow disease in the u.s. since 2006. the dairy cow was isolated and tested at the baker commodities rendering facility in han ford. that is about 30 miles from fresno. the usda posted a statement insisting the cow did not eat contaminated feed, and that it was simply a random mutation. >> our laboratory confirmed the findings and said it was an atypical form of the disease which is a rare form of the disease. >> should people be worried about getting mad cow disease? >> no, they shouldn't. >> the dairy cow in question did not enter the food chain. mad cow disease cannot be passed along through milk. >> we are actually seriously concerned about the new case. >> i spoke with the west coast director of consumer reports via skype. she worries not enough cows are tested. >> there are likely to be lots of other cows out there if they were looking harder. >> alicia says 40,000 cows are tested. still mad cow disease is extremely rare which may not matter i

farm bill in the office of the usda. but the great thing about this committee is there's such deep experience. you know, you look at this committee, you virtually everybody here has great ag background. they've either chaired this committee or been ranking members. so it's been very, very helpful in flushing out my ideas, as i thought about this package. i've been to camp saying let's move forward. i'm going to support your efforts today, because i do believe it's a great first step, and we need to move this process along. a couple of thoughts i would offer. the ag economy has experienced a remarkable few years here. it is really stronger than it's ever been in some aspects. it's historically strong. in recent years, many producers have seen the opportunity to feed people or provide clothing or fuel in parts of the world that they probably would have never imagined that they would provide those items. as a result of that, we've seen farm income reach a record $98 billion. with very low debt to asset ratios. i'm often ask

so by the usda. we think that's wrong. we think they should be able to test their own meat. they should be able to label it bse tested. and they could use the same test that the usda uses. but usda has forbidden it. >> sanjay, are pets at risk? >> for some of the same reasons we're talking about, the idea that you could get these specific parts, again, it's tough to describe it this way, but these parts of animals that have the brain and spinal cord in it, into feed of other animals, possibly. in theory, it could happen. there has been a sort of variant in cats described. it's known as feline spongeoform ense enself lop po think. not as many other animals will be susceptible to it. if you trace the feed chain here, that's where people are trying to focus their attention as well. >> i appreciate it. thank you very much. >>> still ahead tonight, the strange story of an elderly washington, d.c. socialite found murdered in her home. her husband has been charged with first-degree murder. but whether the c

so by the usda. we think that's wrong. we think they should be able to test their own meat. they should be able to label it bse tested. and they could use the same test that the usda uses. but usda has forbidden it. >> what about pets, sanjay, are they at risk? >> for some of the same reasons we're talking about, the idea that you could get these specific parts, again, it's tough to describe it this way, but these parts of animals that have the brain and spinal cord in it, into feed of other animals, possibly. in theory, it could happen. there has been a sort of variant in cats described. it's known as feline spongiform encephalopathy. not as many other animals will be susceptible to it. in theory, again, if you trace the feed chain here, that's where people are trying to focus their attention as well. >> i appreciate it. thank you very much. >>> still ahead tonight, the strange story of an elderly washington, d.c. socialite found murdered in her home. her husband has been charged with first-degree m

john clifford from the usda. now all of this is coming at a time when the usda has recently proposed rule making that according to our calf, one of the industry -- one of the cattlemen's growers association, they're very concerned because they're saying that the usda at this point is looking at relaxing protections and relaxing some of the testing at this time, wolf. >> we don't know, lisa, how this cow got this mad cow disease? >> reporter: we don't. we don't know how the cow got the mad cow disease and also very interesting, wolf, we don't know yet if this is a domestic cow or if this is a cow that was imported from some place else. more of those details, we have a lot of calls out to the usda. so hopefully within the next hour or so we will have more information on this, wolf, coming in. >> all right, lisa. stand by. i want to bring in our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen and she's working on this. what are you picking up? >> what i'm picking up is the government agencies that regulate the -- that

our laboratory confirmed the findings. >> reporter: today the chief veterinary officer for the usda cautioned, it's an isolated case. not the start of an epidemic. >> our livestock population is some of the healthiest in the world. and the consumers should be confident in our food supply. >> reporter: everyone still remembers the devastating outbreak of mad cow in britain during the 90s. 150 people died. after the first case of mad cow was confirmed in this country in 2003, dozens of countries banned the u.s. beef. shipments dropped more than 80%. china still bans u.s. beef imports. today the usda insisted this fourth confirmed case, occurred at a rendering plant for a product other than food. >> this particular animal did not enter the food supply at any time. so there's no concern about that. >> reporter: but the usda currently tests 40,000 cows a year of the millions that are slaughtered. >> the investigation is not complete on this case. so we'll be watching carefully to see what they find. obviously, if it turns out that we have tainted feed, we will have a much larger problem on our han

so by the usda. we think that's wrong. we think they should be able to test their own meat. they should be able to label it bse tested. and they could use the same test that the usda uses. but usda has forbidden it. >> what about pets, sanjay, are they at risk? >> for some of the same reasons we're talking about, the idea that you could get these specific parts, again, it's tough to describe it this way, but these parts of animals that have the brain and spinal cord in it, into feed of other animals, possibly. in theory, it could happen. there has been a sort of variant in cats described. it's known as feline spongiform encephalopathy. don't need to remember the name but that's the cat version of mad cow disease. it can happen in dogs. i don't know there's a reported case in the united states. not as many other animals will be susceptible to it as others. in theory, again, if you trace the feed chain here, that's where people are trying to focus their attention as well. >> i appreciate it. thank you

the usda says its 40,000 random tests a year, less than 1% of the cows slaughtered, are enough. and even if a diseased cow somehow slipped through, guidelines put in place since the british outbreak that killed 175 people, prohibit slaughterhouses here from using brain or spinal material that carry the disease to humans. >> through the inspection of our meat and removal of risk materials, our food is safe. >> reporter: safe, that is, if the usda rules are followed, and sometimes they are not. in 2008, a california meat packer had the largest meat recall in history after it was caught slaughtering sick animals prone to mad cow. and in 2005, a watchdog group revealed that 131 plants in 36 states violated usda rules on handling that high risk spinal material. jim avila, abc news, washington. >>> a controversial case from indiana where a teacher there is suing a roman catholic school and a local diocese for firing her. 31-year-old emily herx says she was fired because she used in vitro fertilization in an attempt to get pregnant. that's against church teachings because some embryos

there's an estimate that the usda, for the last brazilian number was... a lot of analysts have it between 45 and 46 metric tons, a dramatic drop from our estimates before. that's a little bit under 2.5 billion bushel of beans. they're also looking for the drop, the argentina crop may be down maybe a million metric tons. almost every week there's some groups lowering the south american production numbers. and then also, this very decreased south american soybean production numbers is what's driving the market. the acres numbers that we got last week in soybeans, a lot of analysts think that's going to end up being too low, as we've had a dramatic rally since then in beans, encouraging producers to switch some makers, if they intended for corn, back into beans. we're also going to see probably a big increase in double-crop beans, particularly if the wheat harvest comes off early. the issue with double-crop beans is you never know what the yield is going to be. it's going to be dependent on the weather. but that could dramatically change these bean prices. >

but the usda only tests 40,000 cows a year of the millions that are slaughtered. >> usda has not completed their investigation of this case. we'll be watching carefully. >> reporter: david wright, abc news. >> just one cow. not the food supply. don't hit the panic button. >>> time for a look at weather across the country on this wednesday morning. we have showers from portland, seattle and reno into the northern rockies. also evening thunderstorms from san francisco to san diego. triple-digit heat, meanwhile, in west texas. hail and gusty winds from eastern iowa to madison, chicago and louisville. milder with a chance of showers here in the northeast. >>> 67 here in new york. 63 in boston. 79 in atlanta. 80s from miami to dallas. and omaha. 68 in chicago. 72 in the twin cities. phoenix gets up to 96. >>> and coming up next, after the break, a story all travelers can appreciate. experts have decided which is the single-best seat on the airplane. >> they probably already know. >>> and helpful news for travelers there. but unease here. the second bird strike this week forces a plane to land.

alzheimer's is a refined it according to the usda the four reported cases for aid to local they're working. and having be said for dinner and that is no light. and tonight we get a firsthand account of what happens when racing yacht crashed near the fair lawn islands from one of the survivors. as with coke has the story. thank you dana 38 year-old brian chong as low as three crew members who made it out alive and a 4000 word letter to the community he describes how an uneventful day of sailing took a tragic turn. the eight member crew of low-speed chase crashed during a yacht race to the fair lawn 10 days ago five people died and three survived including brian sean of tehran he says the day was an uneventful until they encountered the largest fall the day he writes i've seen largely as before but this is unlike any i've ever seen outside a big way serve videos by the time needed there is no escape route the way of crashes on the boat to brine rights i love my right left my right arm to the bottom lifeline increase for the impact he says he soon found himself under water until the boat righ

. >> reporter: the maker of "pink slime" signed on to the usda labelling move, saying it pave the way for bpi's lean beef to re-establish its place in the market. cargill today asked the usda for permission to give it the option of labelling it as containing a similar filler. >> it's a first step in giving consumers some choice. >> reporter: since the first of the year, mcdonald's and other companies from dropped it. grocery stores have pulled it from shelves and now for the first time, what is inside the beef will be labelled on the outside. jim avila, abc news, washington. >>> and coming up tonight, the great imposter. authorities say he raced to disasters in his flight suit, tricking hundreds of people and then met his match in one devastated little town. i'm carol. and this is my cvs pharmacist. i found out i had cancer. diabetes. i had a heart attack. so, i needed help with my medications. because mixing them... can be dangerous. not with maria around. not with pete. not with nakea. alerting you to potential drug interactions. another reason to transfer your prescriptions today.

it came as a surprise to many at the usda. they arrived at work this morning to find their co-workers standing out on the street. >> i came over around the side of the building off the bus and there are some people outside. i'm like oh, that's a bit strange. then i go up and there is a security guard and she is saying, no. can't go in. the building is closed. >> the usda, south, and whitten buildings are closed today. the problem? an overnight electrical fire. the agency posted an update on the employee information line but word of the closure didn't reach many. they arrived at work only to be turned away. for those who took vre or the marc train getting home proved to be a bit difficult. >> all here trying to arrange rides home because for me i come in on a train, the first train out is 3:30, 3:35. so i'd be stuck here but i think we've got a good samaritan here, one of my co-workers going to get me out part way so i can get home. what are you going to do? >> probably go to starbucks, get a coffee. maybe do a little work on m

. >> reporter: chicken dinner. 84 pounds a person per year and the usda is about to make a change in the way the birds are inspected. removing most usda inspectors from the plant and turning it over to the chicken inspectors themselves. >> the plants inspecting themselves is going to be a dramatic change. >> reporter: the government hopes to cut a cost cutting project by year's end. doubles line speed and instead of the four inspectors, looking at the birds, there is one looking at 175 birds a minute. >> you are going to sit and watch them fly by. >> reporter: this inspector works on one of 20 lines already yutsing the new system, signing an affidavit to the pra project. >> we monitor them. and we joke away are going to keep on going. >> reporter: they say the new system is not about cost cutting. it's about modernizing. >> you can't see salmonella. >> reporter: but the usda can see salmonella and other bacteria. and the dispute says they will aid agents when they know a test is coming. >> they will amp up the bleach they are putting on there. >> you rig the test. >> you have seen th

. >> the cow was a dairy cow in california. >> rorter: the chi verinarian officer for the usda cauons this is a isolated case, n the start of an epidemic. >> our livestock popution, some of the healthiest in the world. and the consumers should be coident in our food supply. >> reporter: everyon remembers the devastating outbreak of mad cow disease ibritduring the '90s. 150 people died. after the first mad cow case was confirmed in this country in 2003, dozens of countries banned u.s. beef. shipments dropped more than 80%. imports.ill bans u.s. beef the usda inshis case came at a rendering plant. but e usda only tests 40,000 cows a year of the millions that are slaughtered. >> usda has not cometed tir investigation of this case. we'll be watching carefully. >> reporter: david ight, abc news. just one cow. not the food supply. don't hit the panic button. >>> time for a look at weath acro the country on this wednesday morning. we have showersrom portland, seattle and reno into the northern rockies. al thuerstorms from san francisco to san diego. triple-digit heat, meanwhile, in west texa

america's number one meal. 84 pounds a person per year and the usda is about to make a controversial and fundamental change in the way the birds are inspected. removing most usda inspectors from the plant and turning it over to the chicken companies themselves. >> this is huge. the plants inspecting themselves is going to be a dramatic change. >> reporter: the government hopes to start a cost cutting project by year's end. doubling line speed and instead of the four inspectors looking at 35 birds a minute, there is one per line looking at 175 birds per minute. >> you are going to sit and watch them fly by. >> reporter: this inspector works on one of 20 lines already using the new system, signing an affidavit to the government accountability project. >> we are not inspecting them anymore. we monitor them. and we joke we are going to keep on going. >> reporter: they say the new system is not about cost cutting. it's about modernizing. >> you can't see cancer bacteria. you can't see salmonella. >> reporter: but the usda admits it has tests that can see salmonella or other bacteria. and

the usda says there is no cause for alarm in the discovery proves that a system of safeguards is working in. >> this particular animal to not enter the food supply at any time. so there is no concern about that. >> testing all the cattle is like testing kindergartners for alzheimer's. it is not where you find it. >> despite that, two major south korean retailers have suspended sales of u.s. beef in response to a consumer concern in that country. for more formation including what the usda is saying you can visit our web site cbssf.com. >> animal rights activist are having it their way at burger king. the second-largest u.s. fast- food chain announced today that they're only going to use eggs from hands not kept in cages. burger king also said they will only use pork products from uncaged pigs . >> passenger airline had to make an emergency landing after something unexpected smacked right into the windshield. >> we have to come back, we hit two geese. >> that airplane turned back and landed at westchester county airport where it had just taken off yesterday. no passengers were injured but

at the usda almost overnight. now, we knew that was a very temporary time and prices, in fact, came back to that $2 level. hard to imagine these days when we have such higher prices than that. what am i saying? i'm just saying when you set targets, then you are basically sending into the marketplace a direction as to how to utility liz that target. so at the end of the day, the loan deficiency payment was paid out, a former continued to own the commodity, and at the end of the day really suffered no loss except in rather unusual circumstances. well, what i have heard, and what i think members of this committee have heard, is that the crop insurance plan offers the best opportunity to go to a more market-oriented farm bill. and i just want to wrap up today by just applauding you and the ranking member and so many members of this committee for recognizing that. i just think it's a significant step in the right direction for farm policy, and i applaud your efforts. thank you, madam chair. >> well, thank you very, ver

the usda says the food chain is safe, but continues to investigate whether other animals are afflicted. >>> california prison officials announce a massive system wide overall. >>> tangled traffic for those expected to try to cross the golden gate bridge this weekend. doyle drive will be demolished. making way for the new phase of the parkway. >>> and is technology manufacturing in china reeking havoc on the environment? we'll here from environmental prize winner ma june coming up nec. ♪ hello, i'm del belva davis. joining me on our newscast. san francisco chronicle transportation reporter, michael donova. and michael montgomery, reporter for the center of investigative reporting. and paul rogers, san jose mercury news environment writer. paul, a rare form of mad cow disease spotted in california. how concerned should we be? >> well, statistically not very concerned. nobody has ever died in the united states from mad cow disease connected with u.s. beef. as we remember from the '80s and 90s, there was a very bad outbreak in england. about 150 people died there. a lot of safety process

the usda says it can't be transferred through milk. neuroscientists that i talked with said there is no way to test for that, and while it is extremely unlikely, it is a possibility. but there are no known cases that have been transferred through milk. sandy says "if consuming meat from a cow with the disease, if you properly cook it, are will it cook off contaminants?". no. you'd have to cook the beef to the point where you wouldn't be eating it because it was so overcooked and charred black. but the usda says our beef supply was not affected. officials have tested other cows on the central california farm, but they don't believe that this disease spread through any feed. they believe this is it an atypical case with a mutation limited to this cow. >> there are also concerns about how farmers test for mad cow disease. experts tell kron4 only 40,000 are tested for mad cow disease each year, less than 1% of the total cow population sent to slaughter. the number of cows tested for the disease dropped dramatically during the bush administ

the usda stressed there was never a danger to humans from the cow's meat or milk because no dead cow is ever slaughtered for human consumption. the usda's chief veterinarian is john clifford. >> this particular animal did not enter the food supply at any time, so there was no concern about that. >> reporter: scientists we contacted agreed there was no risk to the public. the diagnosis was atypical bse, or bovine spongeoform encephalopathy, which is spontaneous and not known to be contagious to humans or animals. atypical also means the cow did not get sick from other cows or from eating a banned type of animal feed composed of other animal. >> it is not likely to be attributable to infected feed, which is the method in which normally bse would be spread from cow to cow. >> reporter: there have been three deaths in america from mad cow disease. a brain-wasting infection with no cure. but all three victims had spent many years eating beef overseas. no american is known to have died from consuming u.s. beef since increased testing began nine years ago. wyatt andrews, cbs news, washingto

he's believed to be in the democratic republic of the congo. >>> the usda ruffling some feathers on how it will make sure chicken is safe. now the new rules would let companies monitor more of their own poultry lines themselves. the agency says that will allow its inspectors to focus on testing chickens for pathogens and other microorganisms. >> we're very confidence that the food is going to be safe and safer. >> the problem is that you need professional independent government inspectors making sure that the food supply is safe. >> reporter: the usda is accepting public comments on the changing until next month. >>> a warning from federal health officials about a pain relieving skin patch for cancer patients. the fda says the patch could be harmful and even deadly for children. officials say since 1997 there have been 26 cases of kids accidentally swallowing or putting on the patch. 12 were hospitalized, 10 died, the fentanyl patch dies out opius. officials are now asking people to be careful when store or disposing of the product. >>> what's ahead with testimony from the mayor and mir

the usda saying the dairy cow was foumd at a rendering plant in hanford, california. no meat entered the food chain and not a threat. it dropped 2% on the news and shares of chicken and pork producers like tysons food jumped. jon, back over to you. >> thank you very much for that update. >>> for the discovery of mad cow disease, in california health officials say that they agree. there's no risk for humans. >> our food supply and we have a good system of surveillance monitoring and looking for the presence of this disease. >> officials say that infected cow was from a dairy farm and was never headed to a slaughter house. the world health organization said tests show hum ans cannot be infected by drinking milk from an infected cow. >>> meteorologist christina loren, i like the nice weather that wore having. >> yeah. you know, everything changes today. it is going to be overcast and we have showers in the forecast. but what's i-ing is the showers are coming up from the south. if you live in the south day you have a better chance of seeing that rain than what we are expe